Automatic stop for phonographs



1. Z. TOW.

AUTOMATIG STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED on. 21, 1920.

1,658. 1 Patented D60. 27, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

22 JZ.70 zo INVEN TOR.

II Z l AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 21, 1920.

1,401,658. Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

5 SHEETSSHEET 2.

A TTORNEYJ' J. z. TOW. AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21, I920- Patented- Dec. 27, 1921;.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3- INVENTQR.

ATTORNEY! J. Z. TOW. AUTOMATIC STOP FOR'PHONOGBAPHS. APPLICATION FILED ocr. 2|, 1920.

1,401, 5 w I Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

J. Z; TOW.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21,1920.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921 5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII EVIIIIII earner came.

JOHN 2. row, or srmnerrnnn, 'rEnNE-ssnn ASSIGNOR or one-rump. T0 rvrortpeunr PATTERSON AND ONE-THIRD TO SAMUEL R. MURPHEY, Borrror SPRINGFIELD,

TENNESSEE;

memes. 1

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 27, 1921;. I

Application ales October 21, 1920. Serial No. 418,345.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Z. Tow, a'c itizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county ofRobertson and State of. Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Stops for Phoi'iographs, of which the following is a specification. v v

This invention relates to automatic stop mechanism for sound reproduction apparatus and the general object of the invention is to provide a novel combination and arrangement of parts which will operate antomatically to arrest the motion of the rec- 0rd supporting turn table when the stylus of the reproducer has reached the inner end of the record groove.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism for the purpose stated so constructed and operated in such a manner that the record supporting turn table will be arrested in its movement shortly subsequent to the time when the stylus of the repro'ducer reaches the inner end of the record groove, regardless of the distance between this end of the groove and the center or axis of the record so that without any necessity for adjustment, the mechanism will operate automatically in the use of records of all sizes and having difi'erent lengths of grooves.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the mechanism that the use there of will involve no manual adjustments or operations other than the manipulation of the starting lever as is required in all of the ordinary types ofphonographs and similar machines.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan illustrating a phonograph equipped with the improvements of the present invention, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating the automatic stop mechanism of the invention, the pzirts bein in the positions assumed while the machine is in operation anda record is being reproduced;

Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the positions assumed by the parts immediately subsequent to the time the stylus of the reproducer reaches the inner end of the record groove;

the bearing. therefor and illustrating the manner of mounting the member which is carried by the tone arm and which coacts with the automatic stop mechanism; F g. 6 is, a group perspective view illustrating. the parts comprising the device shown in Fig. 5 disassembled; Fig. 7 's a horizontal sectional view on the line 77 of Fig. 5. i

As the'present invention resides solely in the automatic stop mechanism which operates to arrest the movement of the record supporting turn table when the stylus of the reproducer reaches the inner end 01": the record groove, and is not concerned with the construction of any other portion of the sound reproducing apparatus, only so much of this apparatus has been illustrated in the drawings as is necessary to set up an operative structure and the combination of parts covered by the appended claims Thus the motor and its various adjuncts have been omitted from the showing as well as the specific details of the several controls. Also it will be understood that while the drawings illustrate, and the description which is to follow will specifically set forth, the manner in which the mechanism of the" invention is adapted to oneparticular type of sound reproduction apparatus, the required changes may be made in this arrangement in adaptingthe' mechanism to sound reproduction apparatus of any other standard or specially designed type.

In. the drawings the numeral 1 indicates in general the base board of a phonograph of the well-known type, the numeral 2"the usual spindle upon which is mounted the record supporting turntable 3 and whichis driven by the usual motor (not shown), the numeral 4 indicates the tone arm mounted in the usual manner and provided at its outer end with the usual reproducer 5 having the stylus 6, designed to travel in the groove of the usual rec'ord7. The numeral 8 indicates, in the present illustration, a base plate which is mounted upon the base board I and which supports the motor and the mechanism embodying the invention.

The combination includes a brake member which is indicated in general by the numeral 9 and this member is pivotally mounted, as at 10, upon the under side of the plate 8 and includes an 11 which carries a brake shoe 12 designed to coact with the usual brake disk or similar brake element 12 of the motor, when the member 9 is swung upon its pivot to one position, and thus arrest the operation of the motor, and to clear the. said motor brake element when the member is swung upon its pivot to another position so as to allow the motor to run free. A spring 13 is connected at one end as at 1 1 to the under side of the plate 8 and at its other end as at 15 to an arm 16 which is pivotally mounted as at 17 upon the under side of the brake member 9 at a point at one side of the pivot 10 for the said member. This arm 16 extends from its pivoted end 17 past the pivot 10 and beyond the said pivoted end of the member 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and performs a function to be presently set forth. The arm 16 does not have free movement upon its pivot 17 but on the other hand. this movement is somewhat limited or more properly speaking yieldably resisted by a leaf spring 18 which is secured rigidly at one end to the member 9 and at its other end is ecured rigidly to the under side of the arm16 at a point between the pivot 17 and the free end of this arm. The spring 18 is relatively stiff so that notwithstanding the fact that the spring 13 is connected to the arm 16 rather than to the member 9, the said member 9 is urged by this latter spring to move about its pivot 10 so as to bring the brake shoe 12 into braking engagement with the brake element of the motor. In other words the spring 13 constitutes means urging the brake member to active position and the member will assume this position unless restrained in a manner and by a means to be presently described. In order that the brake member may be moved to inactive position in initially setting the mechanism in operation, a starting lever 19 is pivotally mounted as at 20 upon the under side of the plate 8 and at its inner end has operative connection as at 21 with the free end of the brake member 9, the said lever 19 at its outer end projecting to the edge of the plate 8 and. being provided with a finger piece 22 by which it may be readily manipulated.

After the brake member 9 has been initially swung upon its pivot to inactive position so as to permit the motor to run free, it is held in this position by a restraining member indicated in general by the numeral 23. This member comprises an arm 24- pivotally mounted as at 25 upon the under side of the plate 8 and provided with a depending pin 26 which, when the menr member 23, to assume an inactive position. 7

In such position of the restraining member, the pin 26 carried by the arm 2% will clear the edge of the arm 16 and will freely enter a notch or cutaway portion 29 formed in the free end of this arm. Thus when the parts are in the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings and the pin 26 is in engagement against the arm 16, the brake member 9 having been previously moved to inactive position, the said brake member will be restrained from movement to active positlon under the influence or" the spring 13, by reason of such engagement of the pin 26 against the arm 16 but it will be evident that it the arm 24 comprising the restraining member 23 is permitted 'to swing upon its pivot under the influence of the spring 28, the pin 26 will ride out of engagement with the edge of the arm 16 and past the end of this arm or in other words enter the notch 29-so that the brake member 9, being no longer restrained, will be moved through the medium of its spring 13 to bring its brake shoe 2 into engagement with the brake element of the motor. Of course during the period of reproduction of the record, and while the stylus of the reproducer is still traveling in the record groove, the restraining member must be held in active position, and this is accomplished through the medium of a detent which is indicated in general by the numeral 30. This detent 30 is pivoted as at 31 at one end to the under side of the plate 8 and is provided at its free end with a depending lug 32 which is designed to engage either against that edge of the arm 2 1 which is presented in the direction in which this arm is swung under the influence of the spring 28 or seat in a notch 33 formed in this edge of the said arm. A leaf spring 34 is fixed upon the under side of the plate 8 and bears against the detent 30 in a manner urging this detent upon its pivot to position such that its lug 32 will engage against the said edge of the arm 24 rather than in the notch 33, and when in the operation of the mechanism the detent 30 is swung upon its pivot to a position to bring its lug 32 into engagement with the notch 33, such movement is against the tension of the spring 34, and subsequent release will permit it to be returned, under the influence of said spring 34, to such position that its lug will engage against the edge of the lug 21 rather than in the said notch li iovement of the dearm 16 of the brake member.

tent in this latter direction is limited by a stop pin upon the under side of the plate 8. When the detent 30 is in such position that its lug' 32 will engage the edge of the arm 24 at one side of the notch 33, the arm will be held, against the tension of the spring 28, in such position that this pin 26 will engage against the edge of the arm 16 of the brake member and thus restrain this member from movement to active position. However, when the 'detent member 30 is moved upon its pivot to such position that the lug 32 will enter the notch 33, the arm 24 will be permitted to swing about its pivot under the influence of the spring 28 so as to cause the pin 26 to ride out of engage ment with the edge of the arm 16 and freely enter the notch 29 thus permitting the brake member 9 to be swung under the influence of this spring 13 to active position.

In order thatthe restraining member 23 may be moved to inactive position and that the detent 30 may be automatically tripped to release the restraining member 23 at the time the stylus of the reproducer reaches the inner end of the record groove, there is provided a means which will now be described. This means comprises a trip member which is indicated in general by the numeral 36 and which-comprises an arm 37 pivotally mounted at one end as at 38 upon the plate 8 and limited in one direction of its swinging movement by engagement with a stop lug 39 upon the said plate. Thisarm is provided at its outer end with an arcuate rack 40 and beyond the rack with a trip finger 41 having a cam edge 42 and a terminal trip lug 43. The cam edge 42 of the finger 41 is designed to ride against a pin 44 which depends from the free end of the arm 24 comprising the restraining member, when the arm 37 is swung upon its pivot in the direction of the said restraining memher, and the'part-s are so proportioned and arranged that when the arm 27 is swung in the direction stated, the cam edge'42 of the finger 41 riding against the pin 44 will serve to swing the cam 24 upon its pivottto 1nactive position. In this movement of the arm 37 the trip lug 43 recedes from the lug 32 but when the arm 38 is swung upon its pivot in the opposite direction, under conditions to be presently explained, the cam edge 42 will gradually ride away from the pin 44 thus permitting the cam 24 to be swung upon its pivot 25 under the influence of the spring 28 until the pin 26 has substantially reached the end of the engaged edge of the Then upon further movement of the arm 37 in the same direction, the trip lug 43 will be brought into engagement with the lug 32 and the detent 30 will be swung upon its pivot to seat the said lug 32 in the notch 33. This of course permits of further swinging movement of the arm 24 under the influence of its spring 28 and results in the disengagement of the pin 26 from-the arm 16 and allows the brake member to move to active position under the influence of its spring 13.

In order to provide for movement of the arm 37 upon its pivot in the direction of the restraining member 23 and thus efliect movement of the restraining member to active position, a lever 45 is swiveled as at 46 upon the under side of the plate 8 and has a terminal arm 47 projecting into the path of movement of the control lever 19 when the said lever is swung to starting position. Thuswhen the lever 19 is swung to this position this engagement against the arm 47 of the lever 45 will result in this latter lever being swung upon its pivot, and as the other end of. this lever 45, indicated by the numeral 48, moves in the path of the arm 37, it will engage against this arm and swing the samejin the direction stated.

It will now be evident that when the control lever 19 is swung to starting position, the trip arm 36 will, through the medium of the lever 45, be swung'to inactive position, effecting movement of the restraining member 23 to active position but restraining the brake member 9 in inactive position, this last mentioned member having been moved to such position through the initial movement of the control lever 19.

A pinion 49 is fixed for rotation with the turn table spindle 2 and meshes with a gear 50 carrying a pinion 51 in turn meshing with a gear 52. A crank pin 53 is associated with the gear 52 and is carried, in the rotatien of this gear 52, in a path to intermittently bring it into mesh with the arcuate rack 40 of the trip member 36. Thus it there were no counteracting force, the ro tation of the'turn table spindle 2 and the intermittent meshing of the crank pin 55 with the arcuate rack 40 through the operation of the train of gearing above described, would result in the rack' together with the trip member 36 by which it is carried and of which it forms a part, being swung or moved in a direction away from the restraining member 23 until finally the parts would be tripped and the brake would be applied. However it is necessary that this operation of the parts be postponeduntilthe stylus of the reproducer has reached the inner end of the record groove, and therefore means is provided continuously urging the trip member 36- for movement upon its pivot in the opposite dime tion so long as the tone arm 4continues to be carried inwardly through the travel of the stylus in therecord groove. This means comprises a finger 54 which is frictiona-lly connected with the tone arm in a manner arm 37, the arrangement of the parts being such that as the tone arm is carried to the left in the usual manner over the surface of the record as the stylus is traveling in the record groove, the said finger will bear against the lug to urge the arm 37 in a correspond g direction or in other words in the d ction of the restraining member 23. Thus after each successive engagement of the crank pin 53 with the segmental rack 40, the arm 37 will have been movedin the opposite direction a short distance, but before the pin again meshes with the rack. the arm 37 will have been returned to its original position through the moving influence of the finger 54. However when the tone arm ceases to move or swing; inwardly because of the fact that the stylus of the reproducer has reached the inner end of the record groove, the finger 54 will no longer exert its influence against the trip member 36, and as a consequence the intermittent meshing of the pin 53 with the rack 40 will effect swinging movement of the trip member to active position in the course of which movement the parts comprising the restraining member 23 and detent 30, will be actuated as hereinbefore described so as to eventually release the brake member 9 and permit the same to be moved to active position under the influence of its spring 13.

It is preferable that a leaf spring 56 be arranged to bear against the pivot for the arm 36 so as to steady this arm and prevent its swinging to one side or the other in the event the graphophone is not disposed in a level position.

Referring again to the spring 18,. it will be understood that this spring permits of the brake being applied through action of the control lever 19 when the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and in this manner the rotation of the record supporting turn table may be stopped whenever desired withoutthe necessity of waiting until the stylus of the sound box has reached the inner end of the record groove.

As heretofore stated, the finger 54 is frictionally held for turning movement with the tone arm, and the manner of mounting this finger and of varying the degree of frictional resistance offered thereby will now be described. The inner end or downward bend of the tone arm is indicated by the numeral 57 and the same is rotatably mounted in the usual bearing socket 58 which is fixed upon the top board of the phonograph, being held assembled with the socket by means of a pin or screw 59 fitted through the wall of the socket 58 and. projecting at its inner end into the slot 60 formed in the said bend 57. The bearing 58 is interiorly increased in diameter at its lower end to form an interiorly enlarged neck 61, and disposed within this neck and bearing frictionally against the upper end wall or shoulder thereof is a friction washer 62. The arm 54 is provided at its inner end with of the bend 57 of the tone arm as does also the said washer 62, and a second washer 64: is also titted onto the said. end of the tone arm and bears against the under side of the collar 63, the upper side of the said collar bearing against the washer 62. The washers 69. and 6d are formed respectively with notches 65 and 66 for the reception of a key 67 carried by and extending longitudinally of the bend 57 of the tone arm, so that these washers are connected with the arm for rotation therewith. The inner periphery ofthe collar 63 is recessed, as at 68, for a portion of its circumference and this recess likewise receives the key 67, but as the recess is of a length considerably greater than the width of the notches 65 and 66, the collar 63 is not held for rotation with the tone arm by positive coaction of the key 67 with the said collar, but on the other hand the collar and the arm 5e may have pivotal movement about the bend of the tone arm, this movement being, however, yieldably resisted by the frictional contact of the washers 62 and 64 with the said collar. In order that the washers and the collar may be maintained in frictional contact and that the degree of frictional resistance offered to the rotation of the collar may be varied, a collar 69is fitted onto the lower end of the bend 57 of the tone arm and within the neck 61 and bears at its upper end against the under side of the washer 64, this collar being split as at 70 to receive the key 67, and the engagement of the key in the split 70 serving to connect the collar 69 with the tone arm for turning movement therewith. A cross pin 71 extends diametrically of the collar 69 and connected at its lower end to this pin is a spring 72 which at its upper end is connected to the lower end of a steam 73 which extends upwardly within the bend 57 of the tone arm and through an opening 74. in the upper side of the said bend. The stem 7 3 is of rectangular or other polygonal form in cross section, and the opening 74 is similarly formed so that the stem will be held againstrotation within the open ing and yet may be vertically adjusted therethrough. The stem is threaded as indicated by the numeral 75 and fitted thereon is an adjusting nut 76 which bears against the upper side of the bend 57 of the tone arm, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and which may be rotated so as to feed the stem upwardly or downwardly and thus vary the tension of the spring 7 2. It will be evident that by varying the tension of this s ring, the degree of force exerted by the collar 69 against the washer 64: and transcollar 63 which fits the lower end ing the trip member in another-direction, a

brake member, means urging the. same to active position, a restraining member for coactlon with-the. brake member to hold the said brake member in inactive position,

means tending to render the restraining member inactive, means-operable to move the brake member to inactive position, means associated with the trip memberv for moving the restraining member to active position when thetrip member is moved inthe first mentioned direction, a detent for holding the restraining member in active position, and means actuated through movement of the trip member in the other direction for'rendering the detent inactive.

2.. In automaticstop mechanism for sound reproduction apparatus, in combination with a tone arm and an element for rotating the record turn table, a trip member, means actuated through swinging movement of the tone'arm for urging the said trip member in one direction, means actuated through rotation. of the turn table element and intermittently coacting withthe trip member for moving the trip member in another direction, a brake member, means urging the same to activeposition, a restraining member for coaction with the brake member to hold said.

brake member in inactive position, means tending to render therestraimng member inactive and means operable to move the brake member to inactive position, means for mov ing the restraining member to active position when the trip member 1s moved 1n the first mentioned direction, a detent for hold ing the restraining member in active position, and means actuated through movement of the trip member in the other direction for rendering the detent inactive. i

3. In automatic stop mechanism for sound reproduction apparatus, in combination with a tone arm and an element for rotating the record turn table, a trip member, means actuated through swinging movement of the tone arm for urging the said trip member in one direction, a rack associated with the trip'member, a crank pin driven through rotation of the turn table element and arranged to intermittently mesh with the rack and constituting means for moving the trip member in another direction, a brake memher, means urging the same to active position, a restraining member'for coaction with the brake member tohold the said brake member in active position,.means tending to render the restraining member inactive, means operable, to move the brake member to inoperative'position, means associated with the trip member for moving the restraining member to active' positionwhen the trip member is moved 'inthe first mentioned direction, a detent for holding the restraining member in active position, and means actuated through movement of the: trip member in the other direction for rendering the detent inactive.

1-. In automatic stop mechanism for sound reproduction apparatus, in combination witha tone arm and an element for rotating a record turn table, an oscillatory trip farm, means coactingwith the arm and actuated. through swinging movement of the tonearm for urging the said trip arm in one direction, means actuated through rotation of the'turn,

table element and intermittently coacting with the trip arm to move, the samein an-, other direction,- a brake member, means urg ing the same to active position, means operable to move the brakev member to inactive-position, means for holding'the brake; 7 member in inactive POSltlOIl, and means actuated through movement of the tr p arm 1n 9 the last'mentioned direction for rendering ord turn table, a'- trip member, means actuated through swingin movement of the tone arm for urging thesaid trip memberinone direction, means actuated through rotatlon 01- the turn table element for moving the trip member ;1n another direction, a

brake member, :rneans urging the same to active position, a controljleveroperatively connected'with thebrake member and operable to move thebrake member to inactive position, operativemeans between the-com,

trol lever and the trip member for moving the trip member in 'the first mentioneddirectlon when the control lever is moved to posimeans for holding the brake member in inactive pos ition,and means actuated through movement of the trip member in the other direction for rendering the holding means inactive.

6. In automatic stop mechanism for sound reproductlonapparatus, in combination with tation of theturn table element for moving the trip member in another direction, a pivi tion to render thebrake member inactive,

oted brake member, means ar ing the same to active position and coactingtherewith at one side of the pivot, means carried by the brake member and extending to the other side of the pivot, a restraining; member for coaction with the last mentioned means to limit the movement thereof and thus limit the movement of the brake member and hold the same in inactive position against the influence of its moving means, means for holding the restraining member in active position, and means for coop ration with the holding means to render the same inactive upon movement of tie trip member in the other direction.

7. In automatic stop mechanism for sound reproduction apparatus, in combination with a tone arii and an element record turn table, a trip mariner, nit-zenn tuated through swinging movement of tee tone arm for urging the said trip member in one direction, means actuated throng rotation of the turn table element for moving the trip member in another direction, a pivoted brake member, means ur rip;- the same to active position and operatively connected therewith at one side of its pivot, an arm pivotally mounted upon the brake memher and extending to the otherside of the record turn table, a trip member, means acne pivot, meansyieldably resisting movement or the said arm upon its pivot, a restraining member having an abutment eiement, me actuated through movement of the trip her in the first mentioned direction m the restraining member to position with abutm nt element engagingagainst he arm upon the brake membe whereby to tain the brake member against movement to active position, means for holding the re-' straining member in such position, and means actuated through movement of the trip member in the other direction for dering' the holding means inactive.

8. In automatic stop mechanism for so; reproduction apparatus, in combination w a tone arm and an element for rotatii' ated through swinging movement of the ton arm for urging the said trip member in one mentioned direction to move the restraining' member to position with its abutment clement engaging against the said arm upon the brake member whereby to sustain the brake member against movement to active position, a detent having a lug for engagement with the said restraining member for holding the same in active'position, a restraining mem her having a cutaway portion in which tie said lug may engage in another position ot' the detent, and means carried by the trip member for coaction with the lug upon'the detent,upon movement of the trip member in the other direction, whereby to move the detent to position with its lug engaging in the said cutaway portion of the restraining member and thereby release the restraining member for movement to inactive position to in turn release the brake member for movement to active position.

9. The combination with a phonographic tone arm and a bearing in which the'inner end oi the arm is mounted for rotation, of an automatic-stop mechanism control-arm pivotally mounted upon the said end of the ton arm, mean'supon the said end or" the tone arm fractionally coacting with thesaid control arm to resist movement of the latter with relation to the tone arm, a spring connected with the said means, means for vary ing the tension of the spring, the said means JOHN Z. TOW. [L. s] 

